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The House of the Dead: Overkill Extended Cut

A Dated On-Rails Shooter That Still Hits Its Mark

House Of The Dead: Overkill shocked Wii owners with
unabashedly mature content not often seen on Nintendo's family-friendly
platform. Almost three years after the original release, PS3 owners are getting
an extended cut with better graphics and two additional levels. While the
upgraded visuals and extended campaign are certainly appreciated, the selling
point remains the same as its Wii counterpart: a fresh take on the light gun
genre complemented by hilarious writing and non-stop action make Overkill one of
the few titles worth owning a PlayStation Move for.

Despite having an appreciation for the genre that harkens
back to the arcades of yesteryear, recent light gun games haven't had the
impact on me they once did. I enjoy mindlessly shooting a screen full of
zombies or soldiers (or zombie soldiers) as much as the next gamer, but
innovations in on-rails shooters have been few and far between. Overkill's
grindhouse presentation is exactly the kind of twist the genre needed to pull
me back in. From the cheesy new FMV intro to the hilarious narration and
obscene one-liners, Overkill is a game that doesn't take itself seriously and
is all the better for it.

At the heart of Extended Cut's extra content are two new
levels, which take place in a strip club and meat packing plant. These two
levels are spliced into the main campaign, but follow the exploits of the late
Jasper Guns' sister Varla, and his stripper girlfriend, Candy Stryper. Some of
their dialogue is groan-worthy even for Overkill, and the duo doesn't live up
to the hostile banter of Isaac Washington and Agent G, but the narration hits
its mark, as do the grotesque boss battles. The levels are equally memorable,
and add a little more length to what is still a pretty short game. There are
also some added collectibles and extras, but the experience is largely the same:
Shoot zombies with a buddy and laugh at the stupid and outrageous dialogue. I can
think of worse ways to spend a Saturday afternoon.

If you played the original Overkill on the Wii, I'm not
convinced the extended cut is worth paying for again, even with its forgiving
$40 price tag. Despite being by far the superior version of the game, the
upgraded HD visuals don't overcome Overkill's age and wouldn't have been
impressive back in 2009. The two new chapters are solid additions to the action,
but you'll still see pretty much everything Overkill has to offer in an
afternoon of gaming. If you didn't play the original, or you just want a reason
to justify last year's Move purchase, Overkill Extended Cut is a great
introduction to the best light gun game in recent years.

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User Reviews:

House of the Dead has always been one of my favorites when it comes down to rail shooters. Ever y House of the Dead title I’ve played has managed to keep me satisfied for long periods of time and has been well worth my money (or tokens) since the very first one. I could honestly sit in an arcade...